Democratic Unionist Party European election candidate, Jim Allister QC, has today welcomed news that low cost airline easyjet are to start flights out of Belfast to Paris, Nice, Malaga and Alicante.

Jim Allister said, “I warmly welcome the opening up of these new direct air routes into Europe by easyjet.

Northern Ireland travellers have been effectively cut off from continental Europe for too long.  It is good to see that the Government’s air route development scheme seems to be working.

Not only do these four new routes extend consumer choice, in addition to Jet2’s decision to fly from Belfast to Prague, but they also act as a boost to the beleaguered Northern Ireland economy on several levels.  The 200 jobs created by these new services may only be the tip of the iceberg.  Northern Ireland will now have a direct air link to two massive centrse of population in Paris and the south of France.  This will undoubtedly create tourist traffic in both directions and thus generate tourism opportunities for Northern Ireland as well as France.  Direct air connections into the heart of Europe will also make things much easier for local business.

I sincerely hope that this announcement today by easyjet marks the beginning of an expansion in direct air routes out of Northern Ireland to continental Europe and beyond”.